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What is Letter Size?

By Jacci Howard Bear, About.com

Letter size is a standard sheet of paper

Letter size is a standard sheet of paper

Question: What is Letter Size?
Letter size is the standard size for letters (thus, the name), newsletters and magazines (finished/folded size), copy machine paper, and desktop printing papers. The actual dimensions depend on where you live.
Answer: In North America letter size paper is 8.5 x 11 inches. Outside North America, A4 paper would be the equivalent of letter size.

Newsletters are typically printed on tabloid size sheets of paper and then folded in half to create a letter size publication. Brochures, especially those printed from a desktop printer, often start out as letter size and are then folded to create a tri-fold brochure. After trimming the actual dimensions of a letter size publication may be slightly smaller.

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